This is to document my current stretches, and future plans for stretching, and help any of you who may need just one more push to stretch... Because it's the greatest thing!
At A Glance Author Travz Contact dozermaxx@hotmail.com When A week ago Artist Travis Studio Bathroom, Living Room, Work Location Ada, Michigan My dad, being the cool guy he is, let me get my ear pierced at Claire's when I was just 7 years old... It was just my left ear, because at the time having just your right done was considered a sign of being gay, and having both done I would look like a girl (I had longish hair). It stayed just my left ear, and whatever Claire's pierces with (I believe I asked for their 18g over the standard 20g).. Two years ago, I was to return to the public school scene after a two year home school adventure, and my dad thought that having my right ear done as well would really boost self confidence. Not knowing of any other way, we went right back to Claire's, and had them pierce my right.. The pain was exactly as I remembered it for my left, just a slight pinch, and then a warm feeling.
After my return to school failed (chickened out basically), I had ALOT of free time on my hands... And started talking with a certain kid alot who was heavily into body modification.. He turned me onto BME about one and a half years ago. I didn't pay much attention to the site, as the pictures he was showing me were, at the time, gross... It turned out that those pictures would be the ones that got me to start stretching!
About a year ago I was in Hot Topic, and I found myself looking for some cool earrings... Not knowing that 14g wouldn't fit in my 18g holes without resistance, I bought a set of UV Reactive, 14g CBR I got them home, pulled out my studs, and immediately started thrusting the left CBR through... Not good. It took me about an hour of constant pushing before it finally went through, and when it did, WOW was it sore!! And it actually took a large chunk of skin with it.. The same went for my right ear, except this time no skin, lucky me!
After that little episode, and being happy with where my ears were at, I let them stay at 14g for probably 8-9 months... After that time, I again found myself in Hot Topic staring at all the pretty earrings, and seeing those 12g CBR and 3 pair per package with the pretty colors (black, chrome[polished stainless?], and blue).. I had to have them; So I got them! Got out to the car, pulled out my 14's and shoved the 12s through... No pain that I can remember, the only hard time I had was getting the balls to stay in. Hehe. I let the 12's stay for probably another 3 months or so.. Then I went from 12 to 6 gauge overnight... Literally.
My dad stopped at a piercing parlor and asked how they stretched their ears.. One of the guys got a small filiment of something, and said to start there.. He said to wrap one wind of electrical tape around it every other day, and that I could slowly stretch my way to any size I wanted. Following his directions, I wrapped the electrical tape around it, but not just one wind... Looking at the filiment now (I've kept my jewelry from over the years), I went at least 7 winds.. Enough to fit my 6g in with room to spare. Again, not knowing that my ears wouldn't just conform to that big of a jump, I just shoved the someabitch through... Pain never gets to me while I'm actually stretching, it's when I'm sitting there with nothing to do but focus on the pain that it hurts, and man oh MAN did this hurt!! My left ear, again, took a huge piece of skin with it out the back, and the lobe was so swollen it was like touching a piece of wood.. No give in the flesh whatsoever. I left my left ear, and not knowing that the flesh out the back was a bad thing.. I went on to the right. Basically, to make this shorter, the same thing happened, and my ear acted the same way...
I left those stretchers in for about a week.. That's how long it took for the swelling to go down, and me be able to comfortable and easily spin the stretcher in my ear (I've always taken that as a sign of it healing up). So, I slipped my shiny 6g CBR', and was feeling great! They're really heavy things, so they stretched themselves over the next month or so (how long it took me to get back to Hot Topic), and when I went in next, I found some Flesh Tunnels in 4g, and fell in love IMMEDIATELY. Those were the coolest things I've ever seen... and I still love the Flesh Tunnel look. On the car ride home from Hot Topic, I pulled out my CBR and slipped in the Flesh Tunnels, no problem whatsoever, just slid in and took up residence.. I left those for probably another month before getting the itch to stretch once more.
So it's about 3 weeks ago now, and I'm in Hot Topic yet again... I see them, the COOLEST looking thing ever: 00 Gauge Flesh Tunnels... And I knew that I had to have them.. The thought of being able to see straight through and out the other side was breath taking. I bought them, and a 00 gauge stretcher. Apparently none of the staff there know about stretching (I've seen one other girl with 4g Flesh Tunnels, but she's new), and never warned me that going from 4 to 00g would be a painful, sore, and bad experience.
Again, not being back to BME, and not doing any research, I just took out my 4g flesh tunnel, and started to slide in the stretcher.. About half way up (I bet I got it to 2g before any real resistance), it started to stick... I knew I wasn't gong to get the whole spike in, so I pushed just a little bit more, and slipped the O-Ring on to keep it from going back out my ear. I figured I'd give my ear a break, and let it get used to the size, and in 3-4 hours push a little more through.. And I did, and it stretched another 1/8th of an inch ever 3-4 hours. After about two days, and me not being able to get it in anymore, I took it out and cleaned it with some aftercare stuff I got from Claire's so many years ago. I figured I'd clean it, and slide it back in, and continue with my stretching method that was working for me. Well, with that little bit of liquid still on the stretcher, and the little still in my ear, it went the last 1/4" by itself.. easy as pie, EXCEPT!! I heard a distinct pop. I didn't know what that pop was, but I do know that I felt pain... Bad pain. Really sharp stinging, like I was getting a tattoo on the inside of my ear.. Just a constant poking sensation. I put it to the back of my mind because I was soo excited about getting it in all the way.. I slid it back in, popped the O-Ring on, and ran around the house for the next 30 minutes yelling at random members of my family and my girlfriend, telling them to give me something to do. Finally the pain subsided enough (why when I put myself through pain, do I never think of pain killers?) that I could relax a bit.. But ever once in a while it'd twinge and cause me to yell 'Ow fuck!'
About 3 days later, it was spinning fine in my ear... I pull the stretcher out, and go to slip the flesh tunnel in, but my ear starts bleeding profusely... Just pouring blood, and my hole closed up enough in that 10 second time frame of me pulling out the stretcher, setting it down, and picking up the Flesh Tunnel that I couldn't fit it through.. So my taper went back in. I left it for another 2 days or so, and it had healed up enough in that time that it stopped bleeding and wouldn't close up so fast. Finally, my 00 was in, and boy was I happy!! Now for the right ear...
I used the same method I had of slowly push it through, slowly push it through, until one night it dawned on me... Pushing the skin against the taper was pinching the taper to the point I couldn't move it.. so I took it out, and flipped it over so that I was pulling the taper through my ear, rather than pushing (pulling towards my face, instead of pushing towards my back). That night I made incredible gains on stretching. I bet I stretched at least 3/8" of up the taper (from 2 to probably 0 gauge)... I snuck off the shop floor and into the bathroom to take a look at it, and because it was time on my schedule, gave it a pull... Popped (yes, it popped too) right in. Again, the distinct fiery pain, and needing something to do came rushing back. I left the stretcher in that ear for a week before putting my tunnel in.
About a week ago, a friend from work was bored and screwing around when he should have been working, and made up this mini lathe... Apparently he liked my stretching and the discussions we'd had on break and lunch, and was making me a tapered aluminum plug to 1/2". 00 is 3/8th's of an inch, so going from that to 1/2" would be no problem, right? Right!! He got me the plug about an hour after he started, and said, 'That's a big fucker man, that'll bring you some pain!' and smiled and started walking away... Without thinking of sterilization or cleaning my ear or... anything, I pulled out my left flesh tunnel, and slipped the new plug in. My dad, amazed at what I just did and how easily I did it, yelled after Mike absolutely beaming red and happy. He said, 'Mike, he just got that in his ear!' Mike: 'No shit man? Lemme see!... You know, I didn't wash my hands and before I gave that to you...' He and I strode over and put some antibacterial on it and slipped it back in. Awesome, 1/2" lobes now!
After about two nights of that in my left ear, and my ear being used to it now, it kept falling out... I needed a replacement, but I didn't have anything 1/2" that an O-Ring would stay on. So.. 9/16"s pen parts came to the aid! Not the smartest thing, but it slid right in and has been there ever since. I stretched my right lobe with Mike's taper, and then slipped the pen piece in there too. Both lobes are now 9/16th's and I'm happy that I'm past the half-way point to my final destination.. 1". I bought some black 5/8" plugs from Hot Topic about 3 days ago, but I don't have anything to stretch from 9/16" to 5/8" so they're still in their package.. Sadness. Soon though!!
My plans are to be at 3/4" in two weeks (fast, I know.. but my ears have been very kind to me, even though I've thoroughly abused them), and then leave it there for a month or so... After that, stretch to 7/8, then use my KAOS 1"ers to stretch the last 1/8".
One thing I must stress here, do NOT skip gauges as you can REALLY do some damage to your ears. Like everyone else who stretches says, listen to what your body's telling you. If it hurts, take a break and let your ears be... You can wait a day to fit your new jewelry in. If you can't wait, you shouldn't be stretching because it certainly takes time. And like I just read on another submission, pick an end size and try to stick with it, because stretching is VERY addictive.. Like tattoo's! I told myself everytime that I wouldn't go bigger... But the appeal of a larger hole than the one you have was too great for me. Now I just want to be able to stick my finger in my hole, and I'll be happy! And yes.. I do realize I would be able to stick my finger in a 3/4" hole.. But that's an odd size for me, 1" is good. Hehe.
I would also like to thank BME for being here... It has been a great website for body mod ideas, tips, stories and pictures. Thanks BME!